Sector Update: Energy Stocks Mixed Late Afternoon
Energy stocks were mixed late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index fractionally higher and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) decreasing 0.9%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was shedding 0.5%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was down 0.4%.In sector news, oil prices stabilized at under $100 a barrel on Friday ahead of US-Iran talks in Pakistan as markets sought clarity on whether this weekend's huddle in Islamabad could lead to a long-term peace deal. Earlier in the week, the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, pausing a war that had spread across the Middle East and curtailed shipments through the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices on Wednesday posted their sharpest one-day pullback since 2020 after the ceasefire announcement.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 2.3% to $95.58 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract shed 1.7% to $94.39 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 1.1% to $2.64 per 1 million BTU.In corporate news, ConocoPhillips (COP) has sent a team to Venezuela to evaluate the prospects of oil drilling in the country, the company said in an emailed statement to. ConocoPhillips shares were down 1.2%.Shell (SHEL) confirmed in an email toon Friday that it is in talks with Venezuela to produce natural gas at the Loran-Manatee offshore field, which crosses the border of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. The company expects to produce gas from Manatee in 2027 but has yet to take a final investment decision on the Loran field, according to a spokesperson. Shell shares were up 1.3%.The Port of Antwerp in Belgium, which is home to European refineries operated by Exxon Mobil (XOM) and TotalEnergies (TTE), was blocked following an oil spill during a ship refueling operation, preventing large vessels from entering or leaving the port, the port authority said Friday. Exxon shares shed 0.8%, and TotalEnergies was up 2.9%.EQT (EQT) and Glencore committed to acquiring an extra 1 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually from Commonwealth LNG through 20-year agreements, Reuters reported, citing a regulatory document. EQT shares were down 1.4%.